Yielded = obedience plus more…

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life. . . .  (Philippians 2:12–16)

Thinking about Jesus being fully human and fully God raises a question: in which nature did He do His work here on earth? Without including many Scripture references, I have to say it was in His human nature He obeyed His Father (“not my will, but thine be done”) yet He was totally yielded not only to the will of God, but relied on Holy Spirit power to speak, heal, pray, and die for us.

In other words, Jesus perfectly demonstrated what the above passage tells me to do. He didn’t need to “work out His own salvation” for He is sinless, yet the nature of God worked in Him. He did all things without complaining or debating, shining as the Light of the world and totally fulfilling the Word of God without any sin or resistance to it. I’m to live the same way.

For me, the fear and trembling comes in because my human nature tends to want its own will. Not only that, until I know the will of God through His Word, the enemy lies to me in subtle ways. His devices are not always easy to spot when I cling to my ideas or the values of the world. My spiritual battles are only won the same way as Jesus won them — by holding fast to what His Word says and by letting Him rule my thoughts, words, and actions.

Human nature, called the flesh or old nature in the NT, tends to want to be in charge:

Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the Lord your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you. (2 Chronicles 30:8)

However, Jesus did not give into “my will” as to do anything His Father wanted, even to the point that He “cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.” (Matthew 27:50) He had to do this because with the indwelling Spirit of God, no one can die. (See 1 John 5:11-12)

He also said, “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.” (John 10:18)

Jesus, because You live in me, I can yield all to You, even my very life. Last week I told my pastor I wanted to live to 100 and “so far God hasn’t argued with me” yet I know that one day You will ask for Your Spirit to return to Yourself, but rather than leaving me, I will go with it and spend eternity with You.